concernednurse

"You cannot think your way into right action, but you can act your way into right thinking." Does anyone have any personal examples of this?

ChikkaB

Sure.

Thinking I could control my drinking got me drunk.

Going to meetings and working the steps got me sober.

BadCompany

I've never been too fond of that saying. In my experience thought and action need to both be on board to move forward.

MrDavid

I guess that's true, to some degree, as long as we act according to proper principles not just on our impulses.

There is a book out there by Emmet Fox called "power through constructive thinking, which outlines "the principles of life building through constructive thought". Here's the premise in a nutshell: "All power lies within creative thought. Thought is the key to life; for as a man thinketh so he does". How True..........

If I feel negativity creeping into my thought process I have the power of persuasion to help correct me. The thoughts we encounter are not always our own; they can, however, bring joy or sadness to our life depending on how we interpret them. That's why it's important to develop a good defense mechanism to guard against those annoying thought patterns, that overwhelm us from time to time. A good support network of closely guarded people and a positive mindset will provide much needed assistance in times peril and persecution.

A positive thought process and a firm foundation can provide long term benefits against the negativity and wiles associated with this world. Positive actions do produce greater results as long as we align our thinking and actions together in perfect harmony. This will produce a more tranquil and purposed filled sobriety one day at a time -God willing.

~God bless~



"you're destiny is really in your own hands, because it is impossible to think one thing and produce another".
~Emmet Fox~

coop1

I don't know...I have to think before I can act.

Kjell

I love this saying.

(Please understand this is my experience and you may have had a different experience)

If I could have simply "out-thunk" my alcoholism, I don't believe I would be an alcoholic in the first place to begin with.

I needed someone sober and with experience to do my thinking for me for a bit (my sponsor and other recovered alkies).

After all, it was my thinking that go me into this mess to begin with.

So, yes, I needed action first, that was thought up by someone else (AA), to fix my thinking

Now that I'm sober and a recovered alcoholic, I can do a bit more of my own thinking as the action I put into my self corrected my sick, alcoholic thinking.

Kjell

concernednurse

I wanted to reply to this.. my mind is very active at the moment. If you want to check out my train of thought a little more, please visit http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...uble-post.html

This is so hard for me, because this is what fuels my codependence! I love love love your response Kjell, but then I think, I must be misinterpreting it. I hang on to the hope that, my ABF's willingness to try and get "sober," to go to marriage and family therapy, and communicate with me will help him into right thinking! I have an inner struggle, my recovery needs to be mine, I need to own that, and disown his recovery. As I mentioned in the other post, "accepting the things I cannot change" is a HUGE struggle for me! I hang onto phrases like this... So, Kjell- can you elaborate! If nothing else than to put me in my place..

missourigal

I think great! I mean I have great advice and ideas...but doing...
well, I think it's a immaturity thing for me, pushing aside long term goals for short-term gratification. It can happen with anything though, not just addiction- just like dieting, it's so easy to just say "I'll do better next time" and go ahead and eat cupcakes- there is always a next time- lots of them usually.

ste

Visited your thread referred to.

Seems you're concerned your ABF is doing it "for you" and not for himself, with hopes his actions will eventually make him realize its "for him".
He's not doing you any favors, one "but I'm doing it for you" would let you know his thoughts havn't cought up with his actions yet.

No revelations from here, sorry, time will tell.

stugotz

I would point, shoot then aim. Now its point, aim, shoot. I think theres a message in there somewhere. Just sayin...

yeahgr8

thats brilliant...point, shoot then aim (the latter in hindsight) reminds me of first getting into recovery...before that it was shoot from the hip indiscriminantly!!!!

ZZworldontheweb

I hadn't heard that, I think it's a very wise saying. Treating people respectfully often leads to improved attitudes towards those people. The act of giving often makes people more charitably disposed later. You can hear it on the phone when the person you're talking to is smiling. There are tons of examples. I found that if I ACTED like a sober person, taking things in stride, trying not to give offense, it lessened my desire to drink.

"Move a muscle, change a thought" is another way I've heard it expressed. Even a little exercise can really boost your outlook.